In-Betweens
by When the Sun Rises
Summary: We all have big and small moments, but only a few acknowledge the ones in between. A Contestshipping one-shot. Happy Contestshipping Day, everyone!


Yes! I'm finally done with the story! It's my first contribution to the long-awaited Contestshipping Day, and I worked very hard to ensure that it's the best that I can offer. Also, happy Contestshipping Day, everyone! We've been shipping these cartoon characters for 13 years? That's...sad. But who could stop hoping these dorks would finally get together? Show writers? You hearing our pleas? We demand a spin-off starring May so Drew could tap that aaahh...

Anyway, let the story commence!

~.~

 _Note:_ Ages have been changed so May started her journey at age 18 instead of 10. Yes, May and Drew are prepubescent teens in the anime, but if they were to go anywhere as a couple, they have to grow up first.

 _Song that Set the Mood:_ Slowed down version of John Legend's "All of Me", arranged by YouTuber Susan Kim

* * *

Before Their First Contest Together:

May turned on her bed for the eighth time that night before finally sitting up with a sigh. Her first contest was only a few days away. She had trained extensively since she had arrived at Slateport City, but no matter how many regimens she went over with her contest partner, Beautifly, she had still yet to burn off her excess energy. Oh well, at least her pokémon were getting the sleep they needed.

Tossing the blankets off of her body, May snatched a jacket from her suitcase and tiptoed past her brother's bed. She and her younger sibling, Max, were sharing a room as always, but sometimes she would forget he was there due to how silent he was when he slept. It didn't help that their room would have been pitched black if it weren't for the moonlight seeping through their thick curtains. Many times, however, May did wish she had her own room for once. As much as she enjoyed spending time with her friends and family, it would be nice to have a space she could have to herself.

The eighteen-year-old reflected on this thought as she also slipped on her sneakers, pocketed her keycard, and slipped through the exit. The carpeted hallways prevented other rooms from hearing her footsteps, which was a relief considering it was one o'clock in the morning when May glanced at the room's digital clock. She combed through her chocolate brown hair when she bypassed the motel's receptionist, greeting the man with a slight nod before jogging through the front doors. Surely, it wasn't the first time the staff member had seen a guest wandering so late in the night. Maybe it was the sight of her pajamas with her outdoor jacket and sneakers that inspired his wrinkled expression?

May groaned and picked at whatever else she deemed needed to be picked to groom herself. She cared way too much about what other people thought of her. Of course, it was to be expected as an aspiring performer such as herself; but if she were to be honest with herself, it was probably the advent of her first contest that was keeping her on edge. How she wished she could find a way to relax. If she were to make a good first impression to the world as a coordinator, she had to be a little more poised. The last thing she needed was for people to tell her how she should've followed her gym-leading father's footsteps instead.

The trainer grunted and made an automatic left turn at a certain avenue. She needed to clear her head—a distraction, at the very least—and the first thing her body seemed to have decided to provide that was the beach. The place did provide her a temporary relief with a firework display yesterday. She didn't know what it would give her tonight, but it was worth going to see.

It didn't take long for May's stroll to conclude at her destination. The brunette almost wished she could've traveled longer. The exercise warmed her body from the chilly night air, and the metal railing she was leaning on was cold. But the smell of saltwater and the roars of the ocean immediately caught her attention. Finally, she sighed to herself. A distraction.

May made herself comfortable between two metal rods of the railing until her bottom and the heels of her sneakers were pressed against the soil. When she looked down at the shore below her, she recognized it as the thin sandy terrain she and her friends watched the firework display from. It really had been a magnificent sight, she thought. Seeing actual faces of pokémon light up the sky; it was almost magical.

The brunette had been so spellbound by the sea's song that she didn't detect someone approaching her. She also didn't realize that she was being watched until something hard hit the railing, making the rods tremble around her.

"Oh gah…Drew?" May placed a hand on her chest. Standing, or more accurately, withdrawing, to her right was the green-haired man that challenged her to a battle yesterday. At the sound of his name, the emerald-eyed coordinator collected himself until he was coolly leaning against the railing.

"Hi, May," Drew responded. He made sure to keep his voice steady to pretend that he didn't just trip and hit his head on the railing. Unfortunately for him, May only needed to see him rub the tender spot on his head to connect the dots and giggle.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She stood and turned to him in concern, though an amused grin and blush were still spread across her cheeks.

"Of course, I am; don't worry about it," Drew quickly brushed off. "I just didn't expect to see you here, that's all."

"I guess the coordinator," May leaned in, "wasn't very _coordinated_."

Drew groaned as the brunette cackled at her lame attempt at humor. Whatever embarrassment he still had was gone. They were totally even after that joke.

"Oh c'mon, you know I'm kidding," May waved in dismissal. "Hey, even _I_ trip sometimes too."

"Why am I not surprised?" Drew retaliated. He tried to regain his pride, but couldn't hold back the appreciative smile from his face. The girl's energy was contagious.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" May placed her hands on her hips.

"I was walking around minding my own business when I thought I saw you sitting here," Drew replied evenly. "I didn't expect you to be out here so late. Alone on your own too." His smile was gone.

"Aww," May placed a hand on her chest, "are you worried about me?"

"No," Drew snorted but wisely averted his eyes, "I just don't want to be blamed if something happened to you."

"Well I'll be fine, you, big baby," May rolled her eyes, hiding a pang of hurt behind her offended tone. "Now go! I don't want to be _blamed_ for keeping you back."

Drew flicked his bangs, his method of hiding his discomfort, before leaning against the railing. "Nah, I think I'd stay." When May gave him a confused stare, he added, "Not that I like your company or anything. I just really like this view."

May scoffed and crossed her arms. That was _not_ what she needed tonight. She needed a confidence boost for her upcoming event, not a green-haired jerk that constantly brought her down. But what else could she expect from him? Comfort? Understanding? Moral support? He was her _rival_ , for crying out loud! He wasn't there to cheer her up. He was there to bring her down.

Wisely, and because she just wanted to crawl in her bed and hide now, May turned away and huffed. "Enjoy the view then."

As she _didn't_ detect his eyes watching her walk away, she reflected on her thoughts and tried to calm her heartbeat. She had to focus on the contest. She was already stressed about how she and her beautifly would perform and what the judges and the audience would think of them; she didn't need to trouble herself by wondering what she was to a cute but arrogant boy. No, she wouldn't trouble herself at all.

Hoenn was a big region, after all. What were the chances they would enter the same contest again?

~.~

After Their Battle in the Kanto Grand Festival:

Avoiding nosy reporters and journalists was getting harder every year, Drew grumbled before finally re-entering the coordinator's lounge. He and his rival, May, had just faced off against each other in a preliminary round of the festival; and May had bested him right when the timer ran out. Of course, the media would be more than eager to milk whatever opinions he had from his exhausted brain. Rivalries was a popular subcategory in a well-known magazine called Coordinator's Weekly, and he and May had one of the biggest rivalries of them all.

And rivals were all they were going to be, right? At least, that was what Drew had hoped. Yes, he had gained a _small_ crush on his rival, but that was still bigger than what he should have for, well, his _rival_. He should have no thoughts about his opponent other than about how to defeat her. Anything more than that could make things incredibly messy.

But he already had a big mess. His little crush wasn't so little anymore. Not only was he giving her enough roses to be made fun of for it, but he also wasted already limited training time to basically _stalk_ May to her last contest in Kanto. Granted, his stalking saved her fifth ribbon from their treacherous rival, Harley, but it didn't end there. She was all he thought of even after he met her again at the festival. And as if he wasn't already aware of how much that would screw him over, he realized exactly how much it cost him when he saw how close May was to him in the appeal rankings. He used to always be one step ahead of her. Now, May was only one step closer to being his biggest threat for that ribbon cup.

So as much as he regretted doing it, Drew wasn't surprised when he insulted the brunette the other day. No, May wasn't a wimp like he had insinuated. Far from it. But that was why he said it. May _had_ to be a wimp. Or at least, had to look like one compared to him. She was his _rival_ , he kept reminding himself. It was either she went down, or he did.

So why did losing to May in today's preliminary round _not_ bother him that much? The outcome he had been trying to prevent happened anyway, but he was more relieved that he lost than he was upset. Yes, he would _highly_ prefer that his team's lengthy preparations for the festival didn't end up in vain. Yet, strangely enough, he was contented enough by the idea that he would just train harder and win the next time around.

It wasn't until he shook hands with the one who had bested him did he realize why he was so relieved. He didn't have the guts to apologize for the mean things he said, but at least he was big enough to congratulate May on her victory. A hair flick was his only tell to reveal how afraid he was that she wouldn't accept his gesture. He had to close his eyes to hide how surprised he was that May didn't just seem to forgive him, she was also diffident enough to say that his performance was better. What would have happened if he had won instead? Whether he would beat Solidad, their greater rival at that time, or not in the final round could result in the same aftermath: he and May would no longer speak. He and May probably wouldn't even be in the same room without May wisely leaving to avoid him. He would probably be even worse to her eyes than Harley. He was more of a threat to May than Harley was, if Drew were to be honest with himself, but also closer to her as well. He had been there with her when her career was just beginning and even once fought for his life as well as her own when they were stranded on an island. If the green-headed coordinator had won today instead of May after the stunt he pulled, then the relationship they had built outside of contests would have been destroyed. What would remain would be the only thing Drew thought he only wanted with May: their rivalry.

And he didn't know how he felt about that anymore.

"Oh, you two are so cute!"

Drew's head cocked to see a female coordinator approach May and her combusken. He had just walked away after giving May advice about Solidad and sat on a bench far enough from the brunette to collect himself but close enough to keep an eye on her. Sure enough, he was able to hear May's conversation with the orange-haired maiden who approached her, as well as watch her wave a dismissive hand when the girl suggested that he and May should date.

"Oh no, Drew and I are just rivals," May assured. "Drew is a nice guy and all, it's just…you don't want to get too close to your rivals, you know? Being friends is okay, but being more than that? You'll get hurt."

Drew's chest sunk as the stranger who didn't even know about his spat with May sensed pain in the brunette's words. What made it worse was that he couldn't even deny it. He was close to May, and that was why he said the harsh words that cut her deeply. The obvious solution was to keep his distance, maintain the rivalry because that was what May obviously wanted too, to prevent future personal conflicts. But the idea of just turning his head away so he could stop looking at May was eating him up inside. He didn't just lose the ribbon cup that day, he realized. May might still be able to look him in the eyes, smile, and call him her rival, but if there was anything else she saw him as before today, it was gone.

He only had a few seconds to reflect on that until Solidad entered the coordinator's lounge. May was one of the first to congratulate her on her battle and wish her luck in the final round. When it was Drew's turn to speak with Solidad, he made sure to do so outside of the lounge so no one could hear them. He too congratulated her and listened to her share her thoughts on the battle she would have with May. Then, almost as soon as she mentioned the brunette's name, Drew handed his companion the rose he had kept in his inner jacket pocket.

"Can you give this to May for me, please?" he asked.

"I thought _you_ were going to give it to her," Solidad tilted the flower to him. "You know, as an apology?"

"I can't face her right now," Drew shook his head. When Solidad gave him a sour look, he added, "I've congratulated her, shaken her hand, and left on a good note," he assured. "I just…I just need time to figure it out."

He didn't specify what that "it" was, but somehow, Solidad understood. She placed a hand on his shoulder, smiled, and then walked away with his gift.

~.~

Before May Thought She Finally Figured It Out:

May let out an exhausted sigh as her sneakers finally reached the concrete slabs of Goldenrod City's harbor. As much as she loved the sea and the soothing stimulation it provided, she couldn't be more relieved to see the towering skyscrapers of an urban environment. Her cruise back from Sinnoh had been insufferable. The ship had been struck by several storms, rendering the decks too hazardous to explore and sightsee. The horrendous weather had also forced the export to reroute to where there were no connections with the rest of the world; so, if the boat were to, say, _sink to the bottom of the ocean_ , it would go down as a missing ship that would most likely never be found. So, it was safe to say that May was _glad_ she no longer had to spend every second of her life in fear and anxiety. She would give her parents a call, knowing they were just as worried sick as she was. She hadn't been able to speak to them and, well, anyone else, for almost a week now. Yes, her two-day voyage was delayed _that_ much.

But before she could pull out her map to search for the closest pokémon center, her form was engulfed by two strong arms. May automatically stiffened at the sudden contact and only moved half an inch when she spotted wisps of green dance before her eyes. The smell of a minty masculine scent benumbed her nose, and a low growl filled with yearning spread goosebumps across her skin.

" _May_."

The brunette only watched as a familiar man looked her in the eyes. His emerald irises froze her in place, allowing him to cup her face without hindrance. May swallowed a dry breath and opened her mouth. But no words came out. Nothing could explain what she was feeling.

"Well don't just stand there," Drew leaned toward her. " _Say something_."

May's eyes immediately shut as she backed away from Drew's gaze and hold. He was doing it again, she cursed to herself. He was keeping her from thinking. But now that she had established some distance, the logical part of her mind was able to take over and allow her to face him with more courage than she thought she had. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Drew frowned. She obviously didn't provide him with the answer he wanted. But what exactly did he want? Everyone else seemed to have figured it out. Some even had the nerve to say she would too if she just thought. But that was the problem. She couldn't _think_ when she was around him. There was just something about the way he looked at her, spoke to her, and even held her that ceased her mind from functioning. The only exception was when they were competing in contests; because there, nothing else mattered except for the prize. Their eyes weren't just on each other but their pokémon, the judges, and the clock as well. As it should. She and Drew were only rivals, after all. The only thing that should tie them together was their love for the game.

But Drew seemed to have different plans. It was like he _knew_ she was keeping her distance from him and was doing everything, albeit subtly, to keep them together. May would have increased her efforts to keep things platonic between them. But traveling alone had been more difficult than she had expected. Yes, she finally had her own room in hotels and the final say when to eat and in which restaurant. But she also had no one to support her when she entered her first contest. She could still remember that dreadful day in Cherrygrove City. She got lost on her way to the capital and almost missed the deadline to apply for the contest. If that wasn't stressful enough, the contest was two hours away, so she had to skip breakfast _and_ lunch to train her pokémon for the rounds. She had no one to cheer her on from the audience nor give her pep talks in the coordinator's lounge. When she inevitably lost, she had no one to comfort her nor say she would do better in the next competition. Looking back now, it probably wouldn't have seemed that bad if her journey had started more smoothly. She probably would have gotten used to traveling on her own and grown more independent from her experiences too.

Then Drew came along and practically ambushed her in her second contest. He had only asked a simple "How have you been?" when May failed to hold back a groan of pain. She hadn't meant to sound so miserable, but it had been a _long_ while since she had directly spoken to a familiar face. She remembered bracing herself for the inevitable taunts he would shoot at her, no doubt going to be nothing but criticisms on her traveling solo. She also remembered receiving none of that. Drew only offered her a sympathetic smile, a hooked arm, and a chance to speak somewhere more private. When May did grip his surprisingly muscled bicep, he continued to confuse her by treating her to lunch and listening to her suppressed thoughts. She took advantage of his open ears to rant about what had upset her in the journey so far. Then, when he took her hand and told her exactly what she needed to soothe her, she was tempted to ask him how _he_ was doing.

And he told her.

He was more than excited to explore the beautiful hills of Johto. Where Hoenn hosted breathtaking beaches and caves, Johto had underground rivers, waterfalls so tall they evaporated before they could hit the ground, caverns glimmering with star-like gems, and cliffs that presented shapeless mountains, colorful sunsets, and stars reflecting from the heavens and the oceans. Just before May could demand how he could stumble upon such finds, he showed her pictures of himself and his pokémon enjoying the views. May had felt close to envy then. When she half-joked about him finding another way to be one step ahead of her, he did something that surprised her again.

He asked her to travel with him.

She rejected him, of course. They were rivals, she told him. They weren't supposed to do anything that could threaten their chances of defeating each other. She didn't delve further into the subject, and neither did he, which was expected because he was only joking. But something tugged at her chest when Drew not-so-enthusiastically dismissed himself. He said the topic reminded him that he needed to train, which was strange considering May spotted him walking toward a resort when they exited the café. But May dismissed that too. They were rivals, she reminded herself. Nothing more could grow between them. It was impossible.

She reminded herself this again when her attention returned to the present. A muscle ticked in Drew's jaw as his eyes seemed to search her face for an answer. When she continued to be silent, patiently waiting for him to speak, he limply flicked his bangs.

"I spotted…no," Drew shook his head, resigned by a silent decision. "I wanted to see if you were alright."

May bit her lip. Something had changed. Drew had always spoken in a direct tone, but he sounded more…raw today. Vulnerable. May stepped forward, "You did?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" she leaned closer. She was so close to him now; she could feel him breathe onto the tip of her nose. She deepened her stare, daring him to answer. Then, when she thought he was going to step back, he cupped her cheek in his palm again.

And kissed her.

May gasped at the sudden contact, which allowed him to deepen their exchange. His tongue swirled within her mouth, occasionally licking her lower lip to coax her into doing the same with hers. And she did. She tangled her fingers into his hair and tasted every part of him. When his arms encircled her waist, hers went around his neck until there was no space left between them.

When they finally broke apart, Drew kept her close by pressing their foreheads together. May grinned when she felt him pant against her lips. Her grin widened when the sound of his breaths changed slightly, indicating he was smiling too.

"Wow," she giggled.

"Yeah," Drew chuckled.

When May looked him in the eyes again, she was quickly absorbed into his gaze. She had never seen him look at her like that before but somehow knew he had done so many times before. A wide grin spread across her face again. Finally, she sighed. She finally figured i…

"Don't get too obsessed with me," Drew chuckled onto her forehead. "We don't want you losing _another_ contest."

May became still. Then, before Drew could ask her what was wrong, she shoved him off of her.

"I finally get it," May shook her head. "I _finally_ get it."

Drew's eyes narrowed. "Get what?"

"I lost to you when we had lunch together, but _almost_ beat you when we just faced each other in another contest," May reminded. "I lost the contest in Sinnoh, so you've come to distract me from winning a contest here."

"May…I…"

"Is this your new tactic?" May crossed her arms. "Distracting me with…w-with _affection_ so I would be thrown off my game?"

" _May_ ," Drew growled, stepping forward offendedly, "I would _never_ do that to you."

"Oh, so you're saying you _care_ about me?" May asked. "That you're willing to risk _losing_ a contest because I distract you?"

"You can never distract me, May," Drew remarked. "At least, not in contests."

"Exactly, because we're _rivals_ , Drew," May stepped back. She then turned away to scoff and hide the hurt in her eyes. "And we'll always will be."

She brushed past him and sped toward anywhere but there. She didn't turn back to see if Drew was following her. Her eyes remained on the path ahead, intent of forgetting about the green-haired boy and the hopes she allowed herself to have for even a second.

~.~

Before Their First Date:

Drew looked left and right, squinting so he could see through the spaces not illuminated by lanterns and chandeliers. The sun had set an hour ago, concluding a terrific day in which he defeated his foes and had been awarded the coveted Johto ribbon cup. The city of Ruban, the capital constructed to host Johto's first grand festival, consisted only of the festival arena and hotels to accommodate the competitors, staff, and guests. But from where Drew was standing on the balcony of the extravagant palace holding the event's afterparty, construction had already commenced building houses, hospitals, and even grocery markets. Johto's first festival had been more than successful on the commercial side of the function. If the contest arena were to be utilized as a tourist attraction until the next festival began, Ruban could definitely become a rich metropolis that could rival Goldenrod, the current largest city in Johto.

The green-haired coordinator scanned the ballroom on the lower level, visible to him through the railing keeping him from falling from the upper floor, and made sure that the person he was looking for wasn't there. The gleaming marble floors, delectable finger food, and formally dressed patrons might present an enticing setting, but being a part of such wasn't something Drew had initially planned to be included in regardless if he succeeded or failed in achieving the bowed trophy. Yes, as the top coordinator, he should expect and maybe even welcome large gatherings, especially if they were arranged to celebrate his victory. But grand functions were only tolerated when he was on stage. Off the stage, he preferred his privacy.

Tonight, however, he yearned for the company of someone he was missing dearly: May. He and his favorite rival haven't spoken since the brunette had returned from Sinnoh. A misunderstanding created suffocating tension between them. Training his pokémon might have alleviated the pressure somewhat, but seeing May anywhere outside of the stage and not being able to be greeted with open arms was akin to torture. He could always confront the girl and reform their connection but wisely waited until the festival was over. Timing wasn't something to dismiss, and Drew didn't need to learn the hard way more than once to know to wait until the moment was right. Until that moment came, he satiated himself with the memory of May's eyes when they saw each other for the first time in months. He thought he spotted the same ache she had to be with him as he possessed for her before it was washed away with crossness and hesitation. She had missed him too, Drew realized, but needed a reason to be okay with that.

So, he would give her one.

Drew searched the ballroom, the balcony, and the hallways once more but to no avail. He grumbled. When had May been so difficult to find? He couldn't get her out of his head for _years_ , but when he finally needed her to be with him, she was nowhere to be found. She was probably avoiding him, the frustrating woman. No matter, Drew smirked. Her smile, her kiss, her quirky but intoxicating personality—if there was a way to get them all back to him, he'd do it. He would let her go, of course, if she decided not to return to him. But until he heard it from her adorable pouty lips, he wouldn't give up until he had her in his arms again.

Then, finally, the coordinator spotted her in the garden. Drew paused to take a breath. May had curled her soft chocolate hair into ringlets leaning on her shoulders. A shimmering red gown accentuated every curve of her petite body, while silvery crystals on her earrings and necklace brought out the depths of her deep blue eyes. When Drew dared a step closer, he realized that she was staring intently at something on the upper left corner of her vision. He followed her gaze and smirked. She was looking at a rose bush.

"May."

May gasped when she finally noticed him. She stood from the fountain's ridge and fumbled with the fabric of her skirt. "Drew," she returned, keeping her eyes low, "I…didn't expect you to come."

Drew gave her an unseen simper until he was standing in front of her. She really was beautiful, he thought. Not just because of her appearance but also because of everything she was. She was clever, feisty, but also oh so kind and warming that just remembering her smile and words could settle any storm within his mind and heart. She could end him if she wanted to, Drew thought, but so far, she had only brought him joy that he wanted in his life again.

He smiled again and tilted her chin up. "I miss you," he told her.

He felt her stiffen under his touch and caught her searching his eyes. Then, after what looked like resignation clouded hers, Drew stepped back when she leaped into his arms. He exhaled a breath of relief and pulled her close.

"I missed you too," May whimpered.

"I'm sorry for what I said back in Goldenrod," Drew apologized, still pressing her against him. "You already lost the contest and got out of a storm. It was insensitive of me to poke fun at you at a time like that."

He grinned when May squeezed his torso. "It's okay," he heard her squeak. As good as it felt to hear those words, Drew knew that she was only saying them because he apologized. He wasn't complaining, though. That was one of the things he loved about her: she accepted nothing but the best of him.

When the two pulled away, Drew maintained their contact by thumbing the dimples on her cheek. He really did miss this, miss her. He was about to say so too when May suddenly pulled away.

"No," she shook her head. "No, I can't...I can't fall for that again."

Drew's frown deepened. "Fall for _what_?"

"This," May gestured to the space between them. "You may have won today, Drew, but I'm _still_ not giving up! I _will_ win the festival someday, and nothing you pull off is going to stop me!"

The top coordinator growled. An actual growl that confused May. He then stepped forward, coming into May's personal space with a glare.

"Do you really think I went all the way to that harbor just to _mess_ with you?" he hissed. "That what I feel isn't real, that everything between us is just a _game_?"

He watched her assess him, searching for the truth even while he was handing it to her. She really thought she didn't mean anything to him. After all this time, she still couldn't see how much he wanted to be with her.

Then, to prove his point, May finally answered, "What else could this be? It's not like you could ever fall for a girl like me."

Saying Drew was angry was an understatement. His breaths were quick and short, his hands itched to claw his hair, and his teeth bit his mouth to keep himself from screaming. How far deep have they gone in their stupid rivalry that May couldn't even fathom the idea that he could see her as more than a rival? Then again, didn't he do the same thing once just the year before? In Kanto's grand festival, when May asked him if he really cried after his first contest, he presumed she was using psychological warfare. After all, why would she care about him crying after his loss? Who he was and what he had been through couldn't possibly matter to her.

But they did— _he_ did—as she quickly corrected, and there were no traces of deceit when she said it. She was genuinely curious about the man she had come to know and hoped she could get to know him better. It was hard to fathom, but she did genuinely see him as more than a rival. That was, until Drew said those contemptible words. But did he really give her any reason to hope in the first place? He seldom said anything that wasn't condescending. Yes, he behaved significantly when he invited her to have lunch with him and even asked her to travel with him. But that was after the final nail in the coffin had been hammered down. Things have definitely changed after he said the wrong things. If he were to undo any of the damages, he had to do better than simply _imply_ what he felt for her.

Maybe May wasn't blind nor dense after all, Drew chuckled bitterly to himself. He just never showed her what she needed to see.

"Let me take you out to dinner," Drew proposed. "Any restaurant you want, my treat."

May's eyes automatically brightened then, and Drew restrained himself from laughing. He had heard stories of May's _distinguished_ appetite. It turned out he heard the right rumors. His wallet would probably suffer if May said yes. Then again, _he_ would suffer if he could never hold her in his arms again.

"Wait," May inched back, breaking out of her spell, "like a date?"

"Yes," Drew affirmed.

"But I just told you I wo—"

"Let me _prove_ to you how I feel," Drew dared. "If you still don't believe me after the first date, then let me convince you again in another one. Again and again, until you finally see that I didn't just _fall_ for you, I got _buried underground_."

May's eyes widened, staring at him like she was finally looking at _him_ and not at the wall of lies she had imagined between them. Good, Drew huffed to himself. That was a start.

"But why?" May persisted. "Why are you trying so hard to do... _this_?"

"Because you need to see exactly what I should've shown you at the very beginning," Drew stated. "If I could fight non-stop until I got that ribbon cup, then I can definitely exert more effort than that to be with you."

May was at a loss for words now, and Drew restrained himself from cheering. Yes, there was still a bit of hesitation and uncertainty in her body language, but that was to be expected. Returning to the path toward what they could have been was going to take time and a lot of work. But so did everything else that was worth it, and Drew knew more than anything in the world that May was worth it.

Shyly, and quite adorably, May turned to the ground. A light blush stained her cheeks as his words seemed to replay in her head. When she looked back at him, Drew looked back with a warmer expression, one with a smile that said what his words didn't. Then finally, _finally_ , she saw what everyone else did. Now she just needed to believe it.

"Okay."

Drew's smile widened.

" _One_ dinner."

~.~

Before Drew Popped the Question:

May flinched when another camera flash snuck up on her from her right. As much as she hated interviews outside the invisible borders of the stage, she knew she had to make an exception just this once. The twenty-five-year-old was going to take a year-long hiatus from contests so she could spend time with her friends and family. Her pokémon have also been working hard for her for four years, and they deserved a break from the expectations the audience had for them and their trainer. But, of course, the Princess of Hoenn and her team wouldn't retreat without a bit of resistance. The media had been working non-stop not just to demand why she would be absent for such a long time, but also conspire theories that were far too farfetched to think about for more than a few seconds. Was she losing faith in herself and her pokémon? Was she finally getting tired of contests and interested in moving on to gyms? Or—and May had no kind words for this one—did she lose all hope in life because her boyfriend, Drew, was seen giving words of encouragement to a female fan one time?

Perhaps she had incurred her partner's need for privacy because the spotlight that she had once appreciated from the world was now a nuisance. But if she kept silent for too long, not only would the press continue to persecute her and her loved ones, their outlandish theories could ruin her reputation in the contest world. She had to give them something. If some still doubt her after she provided them the truth, then that was their problem, not hers. She just needed to provide the answers that, now that she thought about it, the world deserved to know. She had only become so well-known because her fans awarded her the recognition she worked so hard to achieve. It wouldn't be fair to leave them without a proper explanation.

So, there May was, in a television studio surrounded by cameras, lights, and an eager audience. She had chosen to dress in a fitted green dress that stopped just above her knees, and white stilettos that made her legs appear longer than they were. She tucked a strand of straightened hair behind a pearled ear and shook hands with the only television host she was comfortable speaking with.

"Thank you for coming to see us tonight," Conrad, a tall suited man with freckles and orange hair, guided her to sit on the mahogany sofa chair next to his desk. "You look good tonight."

"Thank you," May bowed appreciatively.

"It feels good to be applauded, doesn't it?" Conrad gestured to the studio audience, who laughed at his soft jab. "Bet you're gonna miss this."

"I will, I will," May shot the crowd a smile before turning to the host. "It's just going to be a year, though. You'll see; the time flies."

"It does!" Conrad concurred. "But who can blame you for taking a break? You've been performing and impressing crowds for years, making yourself almost as known as long-time coordinators like Robert Grandeur and Solidad Grace. How does it feel, by the way, to be this well-known after only four years of coordinating?"

"It's scary but _amazing_ at the same time," May confessed with palms wide open, containing her excitement about how an interviewer was actually trying to listen to and understand her for once. "It really shows how hard my pokémon and I have worked to get to where we are. And of course, we also wouldn't be here without my fans."

The crowd cheered and hollered at this sentence. Then, when their voices settled, Conrad commented, "You really do have terrific fans," he said. "Though I'm sure you already know that some of them can be just a _little_ obsessed with certain topics."

May chuckled knowingly, "Yeah, a _little_."

"For example, how about you and Drew Thorne dating," Conrad started. "Many people have just been _waiting_ for you two to date before you actually got together, but a lot of people were also waiting for you two to either never date or break up. What do you call them again? Contestshippers and Anti-contestshippers?"

May nodded, only expecting this topic to be brought up. "Yeah," she said. "I'm a little surprised that 'contestshipping' was the term to describe my relationship with Drew, as if we're the only couple that exists in the contest world."

"Well, you guys _are_ the biggest couple in the contest circuit," Conrad pointed out. "Not only are you two not afraid to be lovey-dovey in public, but you two are also the fiercest against each other in battle. Here, we've got some pictures; take a look!"

May as well as everyone else looked up to the wall behind them to see two pictures being displayed on the screen. The one on the left displayed herself and Drew standing near a contest hall. Drew was pulling her toward him from behind, and May was holding his hands and giggling at something he was whispering in her ear. The one on the right showed the two competing head-to-head with Drew's absol and May's blastoise battling for a contest ribbon. May allowed a sly smile to slip as the crowd cheered around them. The photos were taken in the same contest, same day. She remembered winning that match and how that _didn't_ keep her and her partner's hands off of each other.

"Yeah, I remember this day," May nodded. "It's one of the contests we competed in, in Sinnoh."

"And you won that contest!" Conrad reminded. "Does Drew ever get salty when you beat him in one?"

"I don't think so," May shook her head, "and I don't get envious of him either. I mean, if we're going to go out _and_ be rivals at the same time, we have to learn not to take what happens in contests personally. And we've been dating for four years, so it's not like we didn't have time to practice."

"That must be hard, to be competing and dating at the same time," Conrad marveled. "How do you two do it? I mean, surely competing against each other is going to leak into your love life one way or another. Especially since both of you are incredibly strong trainers and lose to almost no one."

"Things _do_ get a little tricky sometimes; I'm not gonna lie," May answered. "For example, not only do we compete against each other but as many of you know, Drew and I don't even travel together. We keep in touch through calls and emails; but for the most part, we have to rely on our availabilities to set up a date when we can meet. We're always busy because we enter contests and train extensively for them, and we also do other things like spend time with our other loved ones and get back into our hobbies.

"But that's how you know you and your partner really love each other. I mean, there's always going to be conflicts whether you're dating another coordinator, gym battler, or whatever. So, if Drew and I, for example, are going to stay together throughout the years, we have to fight for each other. We're each other's prize, you know. Like, if I win all the contest battles, my prize is the ribbon cup. But if I fight for Drew through the good, bad, and everything in between, then my prize is _him_."

A collective wave of "awws" resounded the hall for a second before it was overwhelmed by a loud applause. Conrad himself was nodding in approval, grinning widely as he read his cards to see which question to ask her next.

That was yesterday. Today, Drew was rewatching the episode of the late-night show on his phone while he waited for May to finish trying on dresses. He and his girlfriend had decided to spend time together at the Lilycove Department Store, which was near Conrad's studios. They were contentedly strolling around hand-in-hand until May spotted a store selling dresses that appealed to her. It didn't take long until Drew was reluctantly following her inside and sitting on a bench near the fitting rooms. At least May wasn't asking him which dresses were more appealing than the other this time. Drew didn't know if she knew or cared, but he really didn't mind whether she was in a yellow summer dress or pink pajamas. When she started taking too long in the dressing room, however, a common experience Drew _did_ mind, he irritably turned on his phone and entertained himself by browsing the web. May was on television yesterday night. Though he was there backstage to support her, he still wanted to live through that scene again. After he was done watching it a few times, Drew pocketed his phone and called out to his girlfriend.

"May!"

"Yeah?" May called out from behind a stall. She grunted. The zipper of the blue dress that had lured her into the store was _not_ closing. She had asked an associate for a larger size, but the worker politely told her that they have sold out of her fit. Oh well, May grumbled. There was no harm in trying on what they had left, right?

"I have to go to the bathroom," she heard Drew declare from the other side of the door. "I'll be back."

May grunted again before releasing the zipper. Okay, maybe there _were_ some things that were _not_ worth it. She slipped out of the offending article before grabbing a white one. That one looked cute too. "Okay," she responded.

As she proceeded to try on the dress, and quickly becoming pleased at the result, Drew quickly finished his business in the public restroom before entering a store for the same reason May entered the dress shop. Something had also caught his interest there. Specifically, a glimmering stone shaped like a rose.

"Hello, sir," a salesperson approached him with a friendly smile. Drew had positioned himself in front of the case holding what he wanted, making it the perfect opportunity to chime in. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Yeah," Drew nodded, keeping an eye on the stone and mind on a size of May's he made sure to remember, "let me see this ring."


End file.
